Washing-machine.



N0. 632,60I. Patented Sept. 57 |899.

J. H. VICKARS.

WASHING MACHINE.

(Application led Mar. 7, 1S99.)

No. 632,6ul. Patented sept. 5, 1899.

J. H. vlcKAns.

WASHING MACHINE.

[Appr :man m am 'r 1899 2 Sheets-Sheet 2,

(No Model.)

' UNITED 'STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES H. VIOKARS, OF MONTROSE, MISSOURI.

WASHING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATIN forming part of Letters Patent No. 632,601, dated September 5, 1899. Applicaif med March 7, 1899. serial No. 708,118. (No moda.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES HLVICKARS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Montrose, in the county of Henry and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in "Washing-Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to washing-machines of that class having a lon gitudinally-recipro eating rubber.

The purpose of the present form of device is to provide means for thoroughly cleansing garments generally or fabrics without injuring the texture or tearing off buttons or other fastenings and to automatically control and regulate the rubbing-pressure proportionateY to the bulk of the articles to be operated upon.

The invention consists of the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter de scribed and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which-- Figure 1 is a central longitudinal vertical section of a washing-machine embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of the rubber. Figf: is a top plan view of the machine, showing the lid .or coverY open.

Referring to the drawings, wherein similar numerals are utilized to indicate correspond.; ing parts in the several views, the numeral 1 designates a suds-boxV of anysuitable dimensions, supported by legs2 and havin ga hinged cover 3. On the interior of the bottom 4 of the suds-box a corrugated zinc or other metallic sheet 5, forming ,a rubbing-surface, is secured, and to the inner side of one end of the box is secured a similar metal strip 5?.

The bottom 4 has formed therein adjacent to the opposite end of the box a drain-opening 6, and near kthe upper edges, on the exterior surfaces of the sides of the box, are guides 7, in which bars or rods S arefreely slidable and connected at theirouter. ends by a cross-bar 9 to provide an adjustable rest or support for the purpose hereinafter explained.

On the inner faces of the sides of the sudsbox, adjacent to their upper edges, grooves l0 are formed, and each groove is provided with a pair of outlets 11, opening through the upper edges of the sides and spaced apart to removably receive the projecting ends of rollers 12, mounted in the upper part of the opposite sides 13 of a longitudinally-reciprocable rubber 14 of box-like contour and hollow. At the top of the rubber, outside the rollers at the ends, cross-tie strips 15 are secured, and below the same are closed heads 16, having exterior corrugatedv metallic coverings 17. The open spaces in the ends of the box, between t-he cross-tie strips and heads, provide circulating-openings for the iniiow and outow of the water when the rubber is reciprocated, as hereinafter described. On the inner surfaces of the opposite sides 13 of the rubber, below the upper terminations of the end heads 1G, longitudinal stop-strips 18 are mounted, and from the ends thereof vertical guides 19 depend and are arranged at the cornersof the rubber. A follower 20, forming the bottom of the rubber, is freely movable between and confined in place by said guides 19 and held down by bowed springs 21, having their ends bearing upon the upper surface of the follower and their body portions secured centrally to the under side of said stop-strips 1S. The ends of springs 21 are free and unconfined and bent or turned 11p at such an angle as to avoid'resistance to the easy sliding movement thereof over the top of the follower-bottom 2O as said springs expand and contract or lengthen and shorten under the vertical yield- `ing movement of .the follower, and the latter has a rubbing-surface, consisting of an under cover or sheathing 22, of corrugated metal, to coa'ctwith the metallic sheet 5 on the bottom 4 of the suds-box. The metallic cover 17 at one end of the rubber is designed to coact with the strip 5 on the interior of one end of the suds-box to exert a pounding action on the portions of the clothesthat are not confined beneath the rubber and have been forced up against the said 'end wall of the suds-box by the action of the rubber, and extending transversely across the ends of said rubber at the bottom are corrugated rollers 23, which ride easily over the clothes andprevent pulling or dragging of the latter during the reciprocation of the rubber while the washing operation is progressing. The said rollers 23 also IOO serve to hold the clothes closely to the bottom of the suds-box while the rubber moves thereover and have a beneficial rubbing action as well, which materially contributes to the cleansing operation.

To the top of one end of the rubber a pair of bars 24E are firmly fixed and project outward to a connecting-handle 25, and by this means a reciprocating motion may be imparted to said rubber. The inner surface of the lid or cover 3 has longitudinalv grooves 26 therein which fit over and permit the bars 24 to move as the latter project above the upper edge of the suds-box, andby this means said lid or cover may be completely held down in closed position. The cover carries on its under side a plug 27, which is adapted to enter one of the outlets ll and prevent the projecting end of one of the rollers l2, moving in the groove from which said outlet leads, from becoming disconnected when it arrives at said outlets, and thereby allowing the rubber to ride up.

Within the suds-box l is arranged a dash or false end 28, which has position adjacent to the drain-opening 6 and the contiguous end of said box and forms with the latter aspace or chamber for the circulation of the water. This dash or false end consists of a board having a corrugated-metal sheathing 29 on the lower portion of the side adjacent the rubber, and through the same and this part of the dash a series of apertures 30 are formed. The lower edge of the dash at the center is arched, as at 3l, to form bottom openings, and the purpose of this device is to permit the sudswater to pass therethrough and enter the space or chamber formed thereby during the movement of the rubber in one direction and to permit said suds-water to return to the body portion or chamber of the suds box proper when the rubber is moved in the reverse direction, and thereby set up an effective circulation of the water. The metallic sheating 2 9 on this box also facilitates cleansing the projecting portions of the clothes which are not in immediate contact with the rubbing-surfaces of the bottom l and follower 20.

When the rubber is removed from the sudsbox l for any purpose, it is rested on the bars or rods 8, which will have been previously drawn out for the purpose. In removing or resetting the rubber from or in the suds-box the projected ends of the rollers l2 are drawn into alinement with the outlets ll and then -lifted vertically from the grooves lO or deber is longitudinally reciprocated by grasping the grip 25. By this means the clothes'or materials to be cleansed will be rubbed over the Zinc or metal sheet 5 on the bottom of the box, and that portion of the clothing which is being directly operated upon by the rubber will be held closely by the rollers 23,which -will operate at the beginning of the reverse movements of the rubber to roll or change the position of the articles operated upon to bring dierent portions of the surfaces in contact with the several coactin g parts and thoroughly eradicate the dirt. As heretofore indicated, the pressure on the clothes or materials washed will be varied by the yielding action of the follower, and the rubber in the main being open will allow the suds-water to iow freely therethrough. After the washing operation on a quantity of clothes or materials has progressed for a snicient time the rubber and cleansed clothes are removed and thesuds used again, or the clothes may remain in the box and the suds-water drained therefrom, and the clothes then wrung and subjected to subsequent treatment in the ordinary manner.

Themachine can also be effectively used for rinsing purposes and after its use has terminated can be readily and easily cleansed.

It will of course be understood that changes in the form, proportions, and minor details of construction may be made within the scope of the invention without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new isl. ln a washing-machine, the combination of a suds-box having an inner rubbing-surface and grooves at the upper inner part of they opposite sides provided with outlets, a disconnectible longitudinally reciprocable rubber having rollers slidably engaging said grooves, and a lid or cover having a plug to removably lit in one of said outlets.

2. In a washing-machine, the combination of a suds-box having an internal rubbing-surface at the bottom part of one end and provided with grooves on the inner upper part of the sides each having'a pair of outlets7 a disconnectible longitudinally reciprocable rubber in said box having upper rollers with projected ends to engage said grooves and a lower yielding bottom with rollers at opposite ends thereof, means for operating said rubber, and a lid or cover having a plug to engage one of said outlets.

3. In a washing-machine, the combination of a suds-box having an internal rubbing-surface atl the bottom, and a reciprocableboxlike rubber having stop-strips upon the interior thereof, a yielding follower-bottom provided with a rubbing-surface coacting with the internal rubbing-surface of the suds-box, and bowed pressure-springs having their body portions connected to said stop-strips and ICO IIO

their ends bearing upon the upper surface of said stop-strips and their ends bearing on the to said follower-bottom. follower.

4. In a washing-machine, the combination In testimony whereof I affix my signature 'with a suds-box,.and a hollow box-like rein presence of two witnesses. oi rocable rubber provided with vertical gupides and longitudinal horizontal stop-strips JAMES H VICKARS' [L' S] upon the interior thereof, a follower-bottom Witnesses: movable between said guides, and bowed N. B. CONRAD, springs having their body portions secured to J. M. MILLER. 

